ABA Standard 510 Complaint Policy

The University at Buffalo School of Law is an ABA-approved law school and must comply with the ABA Accreditation Standards found online on the ABA Standards webpage.

An interpretation of Standard 510 provides: “A ‘complaint’ is a communication in writing that seeks to bring to the attention of the law school a significant problem that directly implicates the school’s compliance with the standards.”

Filing a Complaint

This policy and procedure applies only to complaints that directly implicate the law school’s program of legal education and its compliance with ABA Standards. Those that wish to file a complaint should follow this procedure:

Attention: Vice Dean of Student Affairs University at Buffalo School of Law Office of Student Services 314 O’Brian Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260

The complaint should list all involved: name(s), date(s), time, place and description of the circumstances that is the subject of the complaint.

The form should indicate that it is an ABA Standard 510 Complaint.

The complaint should explain how the matter directly implicates the law school’s program of legal education and its compliance with a specific ABA Standard or Standards. It should explicitly state which ABA Standards are implicated.

The form must be signed and dated.

Procedures

The Vice Dean for Student Affairs will acknowledge the complaint within three (3) business days of receipt by email, personal delivery, or U.S. Postal Service.

Within 14 business days of acknowledgement of the complaint, the Vice Dean for Student Affairs, or the Vice Dean’s designee, shall respond to the substance of the complaint, either in writing or in person. This response will either be a substantive response to the complaint or information about what steps are being taken by the law school to address the complaint or further investigate the matter.

If further investigation into the matter is necessary, the complaining student will be provided with a substantive response to the complaint or information about what steps are being taken by the law school to address the complaint within fourteen (14) business days after the conclusion of the investigation.

Appeals

After the complaining student has been advised of the outcome or resolution of the complaint, the complaining student may appeal the decision to the Office of the Dean in 319 O’Brian Hall or via email to law-deans@buffalo.edu.

The appeals must be made in writing within 14 business days from the date of the student’s receipt of the substantive response to the complaint.

Any decision made on appeal by the Dean shall be final.

Maintaining a Written Record of the Complaint

A copy of the complaint and a summary of the process and resolution of the complaint shall be kept in a confidential manner in the Office of Student Services for a period of seven (7) years from the date of final resolution of the complaint.

Non-Retaliation

The School of Law will not retaliate against any person who files a complaint under this policy. Nor will the law school permit any faculty member, administrator, employee, trustee, or student to do so.